Lotus Elise

I drove a few for the first time today. Wow that was fun. Now the voice in my head is even louder saying buy buy buy. So should I?

Yes.

But then the hunger will hit you even harder……… 😉

You could, but you might get a greater glow from your money if you did something more charitable/generous/good for me if you did this 🙂

What about that Caterham that was on Top Gear recently, 500 or something?

Yeah I’m afraid of that. I can’t believe how much of the road you can feel through the steering in them. I don’t think I put my foot down fully and they still flew :D. I want!

R500……………..droooooooooooooooooooooooooool

my mate has got one of these

It’s rather nice, VHPD(?) engine in it 190bhp, it pops and crackles like a gud un!

The caterham’s a bit much unfortunately, my budget only stretches to a 2nd hand elise (probably mk1).

😀 nice.

you got me looking at them now! 🙁

Mrs M won’t be pleased!!

check out the SELOC forums or the British Cars BBS for info. Well known problems with HGF on the S1 Elise. the problems can be solved as long as it’s done properly

Never had the pleasure of an Elise but have driven an Exige on the track. Wow! Such sharp turn in and poise in the corners. Only thing that got close during the track day was the Lambo Gallardo and the Noble. Both a great deal more expensive than the lotus. If the Elise is half as good i say buy, buy now!

you got me looking at them now!

Sorry 😆

HGF is a concern. I’m looking at buying at the higher end to try and avoid thrashed examples and to get away from that!

The Elise felt that good, obviosuly not the same amount of power but felt planted. Brakes will take some getting used to, no servo feels a bit wierd!

If I buy then I know the voices are going to say track track track

what about a vx220?

The Elise is every bit as good as everyone says but…
Being able to feel every single bump in the road gets tiresome after a while. The headlights of people carriers, vans and 4X4 are at your eye level so you get dazzled by 70% of other road users and to get your bike in you have to take the passenger seat out.
In other words, yes the Elise is brilliant but you need another, more practical car as well

Insurance is too much, and they are ugly. (and I’m a car snob)

Which would you rather own/drive round the track – a Vauxhall or a Lotus?

The Vauxhall has too many straight lines and is a Vauxhall. The Lotus is all curves

I like the look of the VX220… The S1 Elise looks a bit cutesy (S2 is better looking)

Feeling the road is part of the Lotus driving experience. You feel it through the car, NOT through the stering wheel

Don’t worry too much abour HGF. The K Series engine is a pretty robust bit of kit. The coolant pipework on the elise and the MGF mean its a little prone to HGF but keep on top of coolant changes etc and you’ll be ok. Know loads of people doing stupid things with the K series and it can take a lot of abuse!

As for the lack of ABS and T/C etc you’ll soon get used to it and will be cursing every car that has these “aids” to driving soon enough. I’ve been driving classic cars for a good few years now (at speed!) and you really will learn to love that sense of nothing there to keep you out of trouble except your skill behind the wheel.

But S2 is not pure…

It has power steering, ABS, central locking

Good God! Would Colion Chapman want power steering?!

Colin Chapman was a god amongst men! I would sell my wife for a Lotus 7!

bonesetter, I agree. I was talking purely about the look of it…

My mate had a cosworth powered westfield… that was mind blowing!

bonesetter – The fact that you do feel EVERY part of the road is what makes the Elise ownership experience tiresome during the winter months (all 10 of them) and the S2 does NOT have power steering, ABS or central locking.
Mine however is not ‘pure’ as it does have carpets
Flatwarick – The lack of traction control and ABS in dry weather isnt an issue or in the wet either, but in that greasy half in between weather it is.
You could argue that all is necessary is not to drive hard in marginal conditions, but then you might as well have an Astra

I had a play in an s2 as well, I love the styling at the back of the s2 but not the front. Thse wings are just annoying (in your view).

I’ll be keeping a second car for bike duty.

To be fair the the vauxhall is a lotus with a different engine. I don’t think its a bad car by any means, I just don’t like how it looks, and its more expensive to insure.

Yeah there are down sides (like lights in your eyes), but a second car toy I think its going to be great (aouns like my minds mad up!).

Strangelove, the s2 can have boh ABS and (I think) traction control (exige definately has this as an option.) Only the newer ones have it though.

Nixie – Possibly on the newer ones. I have had mine a few years now
if you get, enjoy

me bro has a VX220 – very fast car with a much better engine that the k-series. It’s a bit softer than an Elise and has ABS as standard.

Have several friends with Elises one with a 130bhp S1 and the other’s got the toyota-engined S2. The jap lumps’s better, but taller and considerably faster, but the raised CoG affects handling slighty.

Had a lap on the ‘ring in a 250bhp audi TT-engined S1 over the summer. 8m24s B2G and the auld fella at the wheel made it look like a jaunt in the countryside. I can’t imagine how pi55ed off the guys in the numerous proper fast cars we flew past were. A true life-changing experience.

If the k-series lump gives up the ghost you could always give my mate a call and have a proper engine fitted.

Thanks, I think I might.

Out of interest do you mind saying who you use for insurance. As I keeping the other car I’ll be having no no claims (which sucks a bit) so trying to look at as many companies as possible.

ask if your current insurer does multi-car, you could save loads there and keep your NCB

I’m with Admiral. The insurance was a bit steep the first year but has gone down every year since

There’s two of these, in a street near Victoria Park, Hackney.

What a pretty little car!

I think you’d have more fun on a Ducati, and I say this as the ex-owner of an Elise.

Though if you already have the Ducati… get a part share in a Robison R22. Now that really is a fun way to spend your time 🙂

Why is this thread so long?

Go and buy one now!

Buy one.

I loved mine. 🙁

Would buy another.

Insurance is not as expensive as you might think. We paid ~£600/yr in Leith, Edinburgh. the s2 111 has no PAS, ABS etc,

“But S2 is not pure…

It has power steering, ABS, central locking”

No Elise has power steering. Only the 111R-onwards S2s have ABS (programmed to be as “driver orientated” as possible, i.e. minimal intrustion etc). Central locking is an option.

re. the blue Elan above. IIRC that’s the original press car/development car/Colin Chapman’s runabout. Pretty 🙂

That Elan is nice :D.

Not into motor bikes, haven’t got a license either, the chopper looks fun though.

WCA – I want to, the other (smaller) voice is telling me to be sensible and not get the loan, save the money instead and buy when I’ve got enough.

Got a quote for £560 with 0 no claims which I’m happy with (since with 4 years it only goes down to £460!). Thats parked on the drive with limited mileage and I can use it to commute.

Nah, you’ve got it all wrong. Speed is an illusion, to get more of the illusion of speed, get yourself a Marlin.

Feels like a zillion mph at 70! and you can fix it with a rock and a chisel.

(I’m not biased just because I have one, no not me)

I’d love an Elise, just not this one:

🙄

Had three elises and one elan. best was elise s1 111s. go for it. close ratio gear box and vvc head. fantastic b road blaster. drove one over the stelvio and back to the uk via brenna black forrest livigno cortina. camped out of it for two weeks with the missus.
great car, want another.

buy one.. right time of the year as well..